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Thursday, October 18, 2012

America 2.0 at the beginning of the Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race, 2011.
Photo by Joe Elder aboard the Schooner Spirit of Independence.

Olde Towne Portsmouth once again hosted the finale of the 23rd Annual Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race from Baltimore Mayland with 37 participating schooners. Here is a photographic study of these exceptional sailing vessels docked along Olde Towne's waterside. Enjoy!

An 18th century cannon stands sentinal in front of the schooner "Mystic Whaler"
docked along side the High Street basin. Photo by Joe Elder.

HISTORY

Schooner "Adventurer" figurehead.
Photo by Joe Elder.

Schooner racing on the Chesapeake Bay is rooted in the trade rivalry between Baltimore, Maryland, at the northern end of the Bay, and Portsmouth/Norfolk, Virginia, at the southern end. The fastest sailing vessels delivered goods and people to their destinations and often garnered the best price for their cargo by beating slower schooners into port. Over the years, commercial schooner designs evolved for the bay's routes — taking into consideration shallow waters, local crops and regional needs, with speed being a primary concern to beat competitively loaded vessels into port. These schooners also played a critical role in our nation's early wars. While there are no cargo-hauling schooners now working the Bay, there are a considerable number of schooners still in use as cruising vessels and privately owned boats.

Wheel from the schooner
"Liberty Clipper".
Photo by Joe Elder

In 1988, when the City of Baltimore launched her flagship modeled on those earlier vessels, Captain Lane Briggs of the TugantineNorfolk Rebel — the world's only sail-powered schooner-rigged tugboat — challenged the Pride of Baltimore II to a race from Baltimore to Norfolk, reviving an historic rivalry between schooners, captains and cities on the Bay. With the challenge accepted, the Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race (GCBSR) was born.

In 1990, a weekend in October was set aside for what had become an annual event, and yacht clubs at the northern and southern ends of the race volunteered to support the schooners and crews in their efforts.

Schooners at the High Street basin, Olde Towne Portsmouth. Photo by Joe Elder.

Bowsprit of the "Liberty Clipper".
Photo by Joe Elder.

Over the 21 years of the Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race, there have been some incredible races with schooners going to the wire to win. Harsh weather conditions in some of the races have tested the mettle of the vessels, crews and captains. As many as 56 schooners have signed up for a single race, and more than 150 — with vessels from as far away as California - have enjoyed the fall race on the Bay. The 2007 race was the fastest race in this long series. With strong following winds, several schooners set new records for both elapsed and corrected time. The schooner Virginia set a new time to beat of 11 hours, 18 minutes and 53 seconds, beating the previous record of 12 hours, 57 minutes and 51 seconds set by Imagine...! in the 2005 GCBSR.

Skylight binnacle and wheel from the schooner "Adventurer". Photo by Joe Elder.

Belaying pins. Photo by Joe Elder.

With the growth of the event and the resulting focus on these vintage sailing craft, the organizers and sponsors elected soon after the start of the event to maximize the value of the race in very special ways. The race brings focus to the maritime traditions of schooners on the Chesapeake and brings attention to the environmental issues facing the Chesapeake. All net proceeds of the race are donated to support youth education efforts aimed at saving the bay. This is why the Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race is proud to say that we are "Racing to Save the Bay!" History taken from the Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race website.

Carved and gilded figurehead of the schooner "Lady Maryland". Photo by Joe Elder.

Port light. Photo by Joe Elder.

Line wrapped around a belaying pin. Photo by Joe Elder.

Hawse pipe and line. Photo by Joe Elder.

Schooner "Virginia" flies the American flag from her stern. Photo by Joe Elder..

Deck view of the "Pride of Baltimore II". Photo by Joe Elder.

Ships bell of the schooner "Lady Maryland". Photo by Joe Elder.

Wheel of the tugantine "Norfolk Rebel". Photo by Joe Elder.

Bow of the "Pride of Baltimore II". Photo by Joe Elder.

Skipjack Nautical Wares storefront is fronted by the bowsprit of the "Mystic Whaler."
Photo by Joe Elder.

Thank you to all of the participants and volunteers that make this such a memorable event. We hope to see you all again next year and until then, calm seas and following winds. From the staff at Skipjack Nautical Wares and all of us from Olde Towne Portsmouth. Cheers!

Sunday, October 7, 2012

Schooners of all types and sizes will be docked along Portsmouth's riverside Saturday,
October 13, 2012 as part of the 23rd Annual Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race. Photo by Joe Elder

They're schooners here, there and just about everywhere along our riverside and you won’t want to miss it. That’s right, this Saturday, October 13, 2012, the City of Portsmouth, Virginia hosts the 23rd Annual Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race post race celebration. The world’s largest gathering of schooners will race again from Annapolis, Maryland to Portsmouth, Virginia, with nearly 40 entries in this year's race. They'll be schooners of all types and sizes docked along Portsmouth’s waterfront for you to view, with some open to the public.

We also invite you to stop by (we'll, we're only a few steps away) and see all of the great new inventory here at Skipjack including ships wheels, new, vintage and antique lamps, lanterns and maritime lighting, WWII era U.S. Navy instruments, and all types maritime antiques. We've also received a large assortment of great nautical decor items including fish nets, netted colored glass jugs and float balls, brass cleats, bell ropes and sailor marlinspike knives from Myerchin. And, our classic Skipjack long sleeve shirts, crewneck and pullover hooded sweatshirts are available in all sizes and new colors too! You can check out some an assortment of our new arrivals by following the link here to Skipjack's NEW! JUST IN! section on our webstore.

NEW! JUST IN! OUR LATEST ARRIVALS AT SKIPJACK!

Painted Wooden Sailing Ship Weathervane

Skipjack's Marine Art Gallery

Skipjack Nautical Wares & Marine Art Gallery was recently selected as one of the 10 Best Art Galleries in Virginia by "Best Things Virginia" website in May 2017. Click here to read the full article. Skipjack was also selected as one of the "10 Best Virginia Art Galleries" by TripAdvisor! Click here to go to TripAdvisor's "Art Galleries in Virginia." Original nautical and marine paintings in oil, acrylic and watercolor, bronze and wood sculpture, folk/sailor art, whale & mermaid carvings, prints, tall ships, tugboats, Chesapeake Bay, models, work boats, classic yachts and more!

Nautical Navigational Instruments

Sextants, octants, quadrants, binnacles and compasses- antique, vintage and collectible marine navigational tools and maritime instruments that will help you plot a course and find your way! Perfect for nautical decor for your coastal home too!

NAUTICAL TABLE LAMPS & LIGHTING

Custom nautical table lamps made from vintage and antique nautical lamps and other lighting.

Skipjack's Mariner Hand-tied Nautical Rope Bracelet

The Mariner bracelet is perfect for boaters, surfers, beach goers or anyone that enjoys being in or around the water- quick drying nylon and stainless steel shackle won't rust!

Maritime & Antique Furniture

Since the beginning, Skipjack has become known for producing exceptional nautical furniture using re-purposed ship salvage such as teak grates, hatch covers, ship windows and doors and other old seafaring items into custom home furniture. We stock and produce, coffee tables, end tables, sofa tables, desks, dining and occasional tables, sea chests and chest of drawers, sideboards, huntboards, bars and mirrors.

Marine Clocks & Chronometers

Quality, vintage and antique marine clocks and chronometers made by Chelsea, Seth Thomas, Waltham, Hamilton and other fine makers of clocks and chronometers.

Sailor's Knives & Tools

Our sailor's boating tools category includes everything from antique tools to custom scrimshaw bone handled knives. We offer some of the best with tools, marlinspikes and knives from Myerchin, ACME boatswain pipes and chain lanyards, custom maritime designed scrimshaw knives by Tony Perry and other marine artists and unique sailor's tools for the maritime collector!

Skipjack Nautical Wares For the Home

Skipjack's accessories and decor are designed specifically for decorating your nautical inspired coastal home. Many of our products are custom-made and re-purposed from authentic maritime salvage and of course are limited in production. We also offer great products for entertaining too!

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"Sails & Rigging"

Running free; a square rigger shows her colors in the Parade of Sail at Norfolk's Harborfest. An original Painting by Michael goodwin

The Nautical Sextant

A must-have work for enthusiasts on sextant construction, restoration, repair and adjustment

Ship's Binnacles

We currently have over 15 antique and vintage ships binnacles in stock for you to choose from. Give us a call at (757) 399-5012 or Email @ askus@skipjacknauticalwares.com.

Ocean Marine Yacht Center

Ocean Marine Yacht Center is located just 1/2-mile south of mile marker zero on the Intracoastal Waterway on a 19 1/2 acre site in Portsmouth, Virginia, just 15 minutes from the Norfolk/Virginia Beach International Airport. The new complex features a modern Marina with all of the amenities, an indoor dry storage building, a complete parts department, and for boats of all sizes, a service and repair facility second to none.